Refrigerator



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. F. HANRAHAN.

REFRIGERATOR.

Patented July 15,18910.

Inventor.: f

minewf @W Q. @JM

(No Model.)

` 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. F. HANRAHAN.

REPRIGERATOR.

NO- 432.134. Patented July 15, 1890.'

' UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

JOSEPH ERANCIs I-IANRAIIAN, OE DETROIT, MICI-IreAN.

REFRIGE-RATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 432,134, dated July 15, 1890).

Application filed February 6, 1890. Serial No. 339,377. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH FRANCIS HAN- RAHAN, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, but who has declared hisintention of becoming a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Vayue and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerators, of which the following is a specific-ation.

My invention relates to refrigerators and storage-chambers designed for the preservation of perishable matters; and it Consists, primarily, in constructing the same with a partition or division-wall separating the icechamber from the storage-chamber, which partition is Capable of movement, in whole or in part, as hereinafter explained, to permit the removal of the rack upon which the ice is sustained.

The invention further Consists in otherfeatures and details of construction,hereinafter set forth, whereby I am enabled to moreperfectly regulate and Control the direction of the air-currents and their consequent cooling eifect.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a domestic refrigerator constructed in accordance with myinvention; Fig. 2, a vertical section through the same in the direction of the length of the structure; Fig. 3, a vertical section through the same at right angles to Fig. 2; Fig. a, a horizontal sectional view of the same; Fig. 5, a vertical sectional view illustratingmy invention as applied to a refrigerating or preserving room and Fig. (5, a vertical sectional view illustrating a modification of my invention 5 Fig. 7, a perspective view of the ice rack or support.

The present invention is the result of certain difficulties encountered in the practical construction and use of this class of refrigerators, it being found in practice that the sedi- Inent and impurities contained in ice will in time accumulate upon the ice rack or holder at the bottom of the ice-chamber in sufficient quantity to befoul the chamber and interfere with the perfect action of the apparatus. Owing to the depth of the ice-chamber and the small size of the door opening into the same, which experience has shown to be advisable in domestic refrigerators and to similar conditions as to larger structures, it has been found impracticable or exceedingly inconvenient to remove the ice-rack for the purpose of cleaning the same, and the present invention is designed to enable the user to readily remove said rack and to clean out the space beneath the same without changing in any `manner the general proportions or arrangement of the structure. Vith this object in view I construct the apparatus as represented in the annexed drawings, in which- A indicates the structure as a whole, comprising anice-chamberB and astorage-chamber C, each extending vertically from top to bottom of the structure, or of that portion of the structure in which each is located. The chambers B and C are separated by a partition I), which under the present construction is made adjustable or movable in such manner that space shall be afforded beneath its lower edge to permit the ice-rack E to be moved laterally into the storage-chamber C, and thence through the opening in the front of the latter chamber whenever desired.

In Figs. l, 2, 3, and a I have represented the partition D as arranged to slide vertically between cleats or guides a, and I have represented said partition as provided with a locking butt-on or block F to enter a notch or recess upon a lug or shoulder l) to reta-in the partition in its elevated position when necessary.

As best shown in Fig. l, the walls of the icechainber B are provided with ribs, cleats, or st rips c, whereby shallow channels or passages d are formed in said walls, which will remain Open to the passage of air when the chamber is fully supplied with ice, the ice being held away from the walls proper by the ribs or cleats c. These cleats may be applied to all of the walls or to one or more thereof, as deemed best, it being found advisable to apply the same to the partition-wall D, whether used upon the other Wall ornot. By this construction a downward passage is afforded for the air by the sides of the column or body of ice in the chamber B, as well as through the openings or spaces between the blocks of ice.

G indicates a valve or leaf applied to the lower end of the partition D, and capable of movement in relation thereto to vary the height of its lower edge. The purpose of this ICO stances require or may be most advantageously subjected to different degrees of tem-` pei'ature, and this provision enables ine to Sc- It is obvious that f cure the desired variation. instead of being hinged the valve or leaf G may be arranged to slide vertically upon the partit-ion D, suitable ways or guides being pro-v vided for it.

As indicated in Figs. 2, $5, and 5, a space is left between the upper end of partition D and the top wall or ceiling of the structure sufticient to allow a free passage of air from the chamber C to the chamber B, the ice-chamber being of the same height as the storage-cliain- 1 ber, or of a greater height if it be desired to place therein a quantity of ice sufficient to last for a long period of time.

The chamber B, being duly supplied with ice, which rests upon the rack E, and the perishable goods being placed within the chainber C, and the doors of the two compartments being closed, the heat contained in said goods is gradually given off to the air of the chamber C, and being warmer than the air of said chamber or of chamber B, it rises to the top of chamber C and passes over the upper edge of partition D into the ice-chamber B, where, being' subjected to the colder atmosphere of the latter chamber, it becomes cooled and descends through the chamber D, following the channels d, and also passing through the crevices and interstices of the ice, until it finally passes through the openings of the rack E, and issues out of the bottom beneath the lower edge of partition D and passes again into chamber C.

The rack E is of the construction represented iii the several figures of the drawings, and consists of end pieces or supports e', which stand at or near the front and bac-k of icechamber B, slats j extending from the top of one end support t' to the top of the other, and a horizontal diaphragm or partition O at such height that when the valve G is closed it shall meet the horizontal partition and prevent the cold air from passing out above said partition into the storage-chamber C, but compel it to pass to the rear and the ends of the horizontal partition and beneath the same before it can enter said chamber C. When, however, the valve G is opened, the cold air will be perinitted to pass directly into chamber C above the partition O. This provision enables ine to regulate the degree of cold produced and the travel of the air through the chambers, and is found in practice to be quite important.

In the drawings I have represented the end supports t' of the icc-rack as cut away or shouldered to forin a rest or support for the lower end of partition D-a construction which is found convenient, but is not essential.

It is a well-known fact that damp air will and that dry air will not hold noxious gases and odors, and the practical use of refrigerators and storage-chambers embodying the construction herein set forth has vdemonstrated the fact that in passing through and around the ice the moisture contained in the air entering the ice-chamber is condensed and precipitated, passing off through a suitable outlet II at the bottom of the structure, and in this Way the air is not only cooled, but it is also purified and deprived of the noxious gasesand odors with which it may have become charged while in the storage-chamber. This action going on continuously eventually puriies the contained air of the structure and insures the preservation of the contents of the storage-chamber in a perfectly fresh, pure, and sweet condition.

In large structures, owing to the size and weight of the partition D, it may be necessary in some cases to counterbalanee thesame in whole or in part, which maybe done in the manner represented in I 5. In said figure, I indicates a rope or chain, one end of which is attached to the upper end of the partition D, the rope or chain passing thence over pulleys e and f, and being provided at its oppon site end with a weight J, which shall nearly or quite counterbalance the weight of the partition D. In said 5 I have also represented the icechamber B as of greater height than the storage-chamber C, and have shown therein the siib-ceiling K, the in clined passage L, and the valve M, set forth in former patents. A catch or locking device 'F may be employed to hold the partition in its elevated position and prevent accidental descent, as indicated in Fig. 5.

Under ordinary circumstances I prefer to employ in the storage-chamber C a grating N;

consisting of longitudinal supports g and transverse strips 7L, whereby the air entering chamber C from chamber B is caused to pass beneath the contents of the storage-chamber and is more evenly diffused over said chainber than would be the case were the rack omitted. For small structures this is not essential, but in larger structures it is quite iinportant.

In Fig. 6 I have represented the partition D as having, in addition to the valve G, its lower end or section hinged to the body and adapted to swing upward out of the way of the ice-rack E, so that it shall be unnecessary to lift the partition D as a whole, t-he space afforded by the raising of the hinged lower section D being sufficient to permit the removal of the ice-rack.

It is manifest that the precise construction and arrangement of the partition D is iminaterial, provided only that it be so arranged as to permit the enlargement of the opening connecting the lower portions of the cham- IOO IIO

bers B and C to an extent 4snieient to permit the passage of the rack E from one chamber to the other.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. In a refrigerator or preserving structure, the combination of a chamber, an ice rack or support contained in said chamber, and a partition dividing said chamber into two compartments, said partition being` so constructed, substantially as described, as to be movable at its lower end to permit the passage of the ice-rackv beneath the partition from one compartment into the other.

2. In a refrigerator or like structure, a vertically-movable partition dividing the structure into two chambers, and a movable icerack located on one side of said partition and adapted, when the movable partition is thrown out of its normal position, to be passed to the other side thereof.

3. In a refrigerator or like structure, a counterbalanced partition separating the structure into two compartments or chambers, and a movable ice-rack located in one of said chambers and adapted to be moved into the other chamber across the line ot the partition when said partition is moved from its normal position.

4. In a refrigerator or like structure, the combination of ice-chamber B, storage-chamber C, and intermediate movable partition D, provided at its lower end with valve or leaf G.

5. In a refrigerator or like structure, a vertically-movable partition D, provided with a locking device or button F, adapted to engage with a iXed shoulder to hold the partition in an elevated position, and a movable ice-rack E, located on one side of said partition and adapted to be lshifted to the other side when the partition is in 'its elevated position.

(i. In combination with ice-chamber B and storage-chamber O, an intermediate partition provided with a valve G, and an ice-rack lo cated in the ice-chamber and provided. with open ice-support at the top and with a horizontal partition between said support and the bottom of the ice-chamber.

7. In combination with ice-chamber B and storagechamber C, intermediate movable partition D, provided with valve G, iced-ack E, located in chamber B and consisting of end supports fi, slats j, and horizontal partition O, the end pieces extending under and serving to support the partition D.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH FRANCIS HANRAHAN.

IVitnesses:

AUGUST G. NUPPERNAN, WALTER S. HARSHA. 

